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Fan housing

Fan housing description/claims

A fan is a device used to induce airflow and is generally made from broad, flat surfaces which revolve or oscillate. The most common applications of fans are for ventilation and/or for gas transport for industrial purposes.

There are three main types of fans used for moving air: axial, centrifugal (also called radial) and cross flow (also called tangential). The axial-flow fans have blades that force air to move parallel to the shaft about which the blades rotate. Axial fans blow air linearly across the axis of the fan. This is the most common type of fan, and is used in a wide variety of applications, ranging from small cooling fans for electronics to the giant fans used in wind tunnels.

The centrifugal fan has a moving component called an impeller that consists of a central shaft about which a set of blades form a spiral pattern. Centrifugal fans blow air at right angles to the intake of the fan, and spin (centrifugally) the air outwards to the outlet. An impeller rotates, causing air to enter the fan near the shaft and move perpendicularly from the shaft to the opening in the scroll-shaped fan housing. A centrifugal fan produces more pressure for a given air volume, and is used where this is desirable.

The cross flow fan has a squirrel cage rotor (a rotor with a hollow center and axial fan blades along the periphery). Cross flow fans take in air along the periphery of the rotor, and expel it through the outlet in a similar fashion to the centrifugal fan. Cross flow fans give off an even airflow along the entire width of the fan, and are very quiet in operation. They are comparatively bulky, and the air pressure is low.

Each of the above fan types has a fan housing. The fan housing serves to house the fan blades and/or impellers and direct fluid flow from the fan blades and/or impellers. A variety of fan housing designs have been proposed for improving air flow and reducing noise produced by the fan. These fan housing, however, can be complex in both their design and configuration. As a result, improvements to fan housing designs are needed.

The Figures presented herein provide illustrations of non-limiting example embodiments of the present disclosure. The Figures are not necessarily to scale.

FIG. 1 illustrates an exploded view of one embodiment of a fan housing according to the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 illustrates an exploded view of one embodiment of a fan housing according to the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 illustrates an exploded view of one embodiment of a fan housing according to the present disclosure.

FIG. 4 illustrates one embodiment of a fan housing according to the present disclosure.

FIG. 5 illustrates one embodiment of a fan housing according to the present disclosure.

FIG. 6 illustrates an exploded view of one embodiment of a fan having a fan housing, an impeller, and motor according to the present disclosure.

Embodiments of the present disclosure include fan housings, fans each with a fan housing, and methods of making the fan housings of the present disclosure. As used herein, fan housings include, but are not limited to, structures that at least partially surround an impeller or a fan blade to help direct the flow of a fluid through the fan. Fluids as used herein can include, but are not limited to, gases and/or liquids. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the following description of the various embodiments of this disclosure are provided for illustration only and not for the purpose of limiting the invention as defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

The Figures herein follow a numbering convention in which the first digit or digits correspond to the drawing figure number and the remaining digits identify an element in the drawing. Similar elements between different figures may be identified by the use of similar digits. For example, 102 may reference element “102” in FIG. 1, and a similar element may be referenced as “202” in FIG. 2. As will be appreciated, elements shown in the various embodiments herein can be added, exchanged, and/or eliminated so as to provide a number of additional embodiments. The elements and/or embodiments illustrated in the figures are not to scale.

In describing the various embodiments herein, the following directional terms “annular,” “axial,” “circumferential,” “radial,” “longitudinal” and “transverse” as well as other similar directional terms may be used. As used herein, these directional terms as well as other directional terms are made relative to a center rotational axis of an axle that can rotate an impeller or fan blade at least partially housed in the fan housing according to various embodiments of the present disclosure. Accordingly, these terms, as used to describe various embodiments should be interpreted relative to the center rotational axis of the axle. The axle may be coupled to the impeller through a central hub of the impeller. Alternatively, the axle may be part of and extend from the impeller to be coupled to, for example, a motor. In addition, the figures presented herein provide illustrations of non-limiting example embodiments.

• Provisional Patent
• Utility Patent

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